A Kiss To Build A Dream On
by Whatchoofelloverfor
Summary: Three chapter Lily/James fic based on the Louis Armstrong song of the above title. Not really a songfic, just inspired by the lyrics. First part is James' perspective, next is Lily's.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys. So, I've been sans computer for over a week now, but I've actually been getting a fair bit of writing done manually: I wrote about 40 pages by hand! Woo! Good news: there are three new lovely, finished, Louis & Ella themed Lily/James fics coming your way. Bad news: none of them have anything to do with Two Birds or TMBTM. Hopefully that doesn't mean you're going to kill me… Anyways, here's the first bit of one of the stories, and I'll keep typing up the rest and get them to you ASAP.**

**- Lorraine**

**P.S. Please forgive me if there are a few extra typos in here, I just wanted to get it digitized quickly, so I may have been typing a bit manically.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither the Harry Potter characters nor the lyrics to the song, I have merely spliced them together for your entertainment.**

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><p>A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON<p>

Lyrics:

_Give me a kiss to build a dream on _

_And my imagination_

_Will thrive upon that kiss_

_Sweetheart, I ask no more than this_

_A kiss to build a dream on_

_Give me a kiss before you leave me_

_And my imagination_

_Will feed my hungry heart_

_Leave me one thing before we part:_

_A kiss to build a dream on_

_When I'm alone with my fancies_

_I'll be with you_

_Weaving' romances,_

_Making' believe they're true_

_Oh, give me your lips for just a moment_

_And my imagination_

_Will make that moment live_

_Give me what you alone can give:_

_A kiss to build a dream on_

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><p>It was the end of this sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and James Potter was feeling glum. Despite what he considered to be his best efforts—though Remus thought otherwise—James had still failed to win over the girl of his dreams, namely Lily Evans. The spitfire redhead had spurned his every advance, and James didn't see her attitude changing any time soon. Needless to say, this is what had put the school heartthrob in a foul mood on the eve of his departure for the summer holidays.<p>

Contrary to popular belief, James Potter's interest in Miss Evans went beyond a mere infatuation. Though many of the female Hogwarts population thought (hoped) that he was just rising to the challenge of Lily's refusals, James was in it for more than the chase. When he pondered his future—often aloud, much to Sirius' chagrin and Peter's amusement—he pictured himself with Lily by his side. Why? Well, he tried not to think too much about that, for fear that his heart might burst. Or perhaps because whenever he listed Lily's winning characteristics, he became invariably angry with her for not recognizing that they were meant for each other.

They were both extremely passionate.

She was the logic to his insanity.

She was gorgeous. He was, too.

She was particularly witty—one of the only people outside the Marauders who could keep up with him in bantering and arguments.

She was the perfect size for him, hr head reaching to just under his chin. (He had discovered this when he had gotten to hug her in the beginning of the year, when her boyfriend had been discovered with some Ravenclaw in a broom cupboard, doing rather more than "exchanging notes." James had later pummeled the scumbag, which had earned him a smack upside the head and a stern talk from Lily.)

She didn't idolize him or any of his friends.

And she was the most determined girl he'd ever met.

This last one was the sticking point. Lily seemed just as determined to refuse James for eternity as he was determined to make her fall for him. At the present moment, she seemed to be winning the competition. James was running out of time. "But he's got all of seventh year! You've got all the time in the world," you say, as do his friends. But James knows better. He's beyond sure that Lily will become Head Girl next year, and that means she'll have her own dormitory and common room, which, in turn, means that James will have no time outside meals and classes to work his magic. That didn't give him much to work with.

Ever since the "incident" by the lake after O.W.L.s, James had been trying the subtle approach—he had learned, that fateful day, that Remus' relationship was generally more reliable than Sirius'. So, there had been far fewer—which is not to say none—date requests, and thus fewer corresponding knockdown drag-out arguments in the corridors. He'd tried to keep the flirting to a minimum, and only stared at Lily when he was _sure_ she wasn't looking. He'd toned down his stalkerish tendencies, too—no more buying her gifts on a whim and leaving them in her room (only to be alerted that she'd found the item in question when he heard the angry scream of "POTTER! Not again!").

So, really, he'd tried to be more normal around her, and he had been sure that this tactic would work on her eventually. But he was not prepared for her to hold out so long. That "eventually" was almost exceeding the school year, and now James was at a loss.

He knew that she'd be unwilling to start something serious so close to the end of term (not that she'd be willing to start anything ever, serious or not), so he figured his only shot was to somehow make her remember him fondly—miss him, even—over the summer.

In a stroke of brilliance, James decided to ask Remus for help. He found his lycanthropic friend in a shady corner of the lawn, under a familiar beech tree, playing wizards' chess against himself.

As he walked over, James smiled and rolled his eyes. "Really, Moony? Can you be any more of a stereotypical nerd? Honestly, I love you and all, but you've got to get out more."

Remus spoke without looking up from the chessboard. "And by 'get out more' do you mean sitting in my dorm pining over a certain redhead?" James' smirk slid off his face. "Because for one who has so much experience with living on the wild side, I must say I can't see how you work it into your busy schedule, as it's so completely filled with moping about." Remus moved his rook before finally looking up at a now scowling James, and sighed. "Sorry, Prongs. That was harsh. But even I, the supposed hardworking Marauder, can't understand how or why you've stayed so focused on Lily even when she's shown no interest in you. I'd say your strong will was inspiring, if it actually got you anywhere."

Now it was James' turn to sigh. "I know, I know. I'm about ready to give up, anyways." Remus gave him a skeptical look. "No, for real this time! Merlin knows I've got no shot next year once she becomes Head Girl and moves in with whatever pompous Prefect becomes Head Boy—no offense, mate."

"None taken."

"So what I need now is a way to make her see me in a good light, so that she doesn't just stew in her anti-Potter juices over the summer. Any ideas, ol' buddy, ol' pal?"

"That seems a bit of a long shot, Prongs, seeing as we leave _tomorrow_."

"I'm quite aware of the fact, thanks. That's why I need your help, O Mighty Relationship Guru."

"I still don't quite see how the most eligible bachelor at Hogwarts still asks _me_—the one who's never kept a girlfriend for more than a month—for advice on women. You're just a lazy prat, that's what I think."

"Lazy? Who, me? No, the reason I come to you is because girls like you for your personality and sensitivity. They just go out with me because I play Quidditch and am supernaturally handsome. So, obviously I'm hopeless when in comes to Lily, as she's not nearly so shallow as all the birds who want me. That's why I love her, too. How's that for irony biting me in the arse?"

"Yeah, yeah, stop complaining about your stupid good looks, I'm trying to think."

"Right, sorry." James promptly shut up, and Remus eventually continued.

"Alright, so, think of something unique about her that you notice, but not many other people do." James opened his mouth to spout out what Remus was sure were hundreds of little-known facts about Lily Evans, but the werewolf held up a hand to stop his friend. "Not something creepy, Prongs, something normal. Like a book she likes, or some muggle band or something."

James' eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on this task. He'd spent the better part of the past four years gathering snippets of information about Lily, and now he was sifting through it for a valuable piece, much like panning for gold. He tried to think of one that would encapsulate his true feelings for her, without making him seem overly obsessed. After a minute or so of wracking his brain, James' eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Got it! I've got the perfect song. She got the album form her dad last Christmas and I've heard her playing it in the girls' dormitory…"

Remus frowned at the amount of attention James paid to Lily's every day actions, but decided not to comment. "Okay, excellent. So now you've just got to get her alone and bring this song up in conversation, and tell her that you like it and you think she's got good taste and so on. Make sure you sound sincere—you know how she can tell when you're lying—and just keep the conversation going. Pretend she's a friend, like a female Marauder. Talk for a while and then tell her you'll see her next year, and you hope to bump into her at Diagon Alley. Keep her wanting more—but not in a weird, sexual way. You're not Sirius, thank Merlin."

James had been picturing the suggested conversation in his head as Remus described how he should act. He was a little put off by the "pretend she's a friend" bit, because he'd be hard-pressed to think of her platonically. He was also slightly offended that Remus thought he'd have to _lie_ when telling Lily he like her taste. Of course he liked her taste! Was she or was she not brilliant in all respects? Silly werewolf.

James was generally disappointed by Remus' advice until the end of his speech, where he suggested that James "keep her wanting more." Now that was more like it! And it would work perfectly with the song he'd thought of.

James resolved to put his plan into effect the following morning, when Lily was packing her trunk while her friends were down at breakfast. (This was a tradition the girls practiced, James had noticed in his years of diligent Evans-watch. Lily was the only muggle-born Gryffindor of their year, and she liked to have a couple hours for a private farewell to the castle, to the magical world that she could only call 'home' half the time/)

And so, at 9 o'clock the next morning, James told his friends to go on to breakfast without him, Peter had been confused and Sirius worried ("You're not hungry? What, are you sick? You haven't skived off a meal since the Great Doxy Egg Prank of 1974!), but Remus, shrewd as ever, had quickly ushered the other two boys out of the dormitory,

James spent a few more minutes finishing up with his own packing before checking the Marauder's Map._ Excellent_, he thought, _the girls' dorm is all clear except for Lily_. And so, without even checking his appearance (because A. Lily didn't care about that sort of thing, and B. He always looked bloody good), James made his way across the landing to the foot of the girls' staircase. He twisted the knob of the banister with the precision of one who's known the secret for years, and quietly marched up the steps. Once in front of the door, he knocked.

"Who is it?" said the voice of Lily Evans.

"It's me. James."

She opened the door—he'd expected yelling, or at least hesitation—giving him a confused and wary once-over, as if she could detect malicious intent from his posture or the jumper he was wearing. He just smiled, and her frown grew more pronounced.

"Uhh, hi, Potter. What can I do for you? Did you lose your way to the boys' dormitories again?"

"No, actually, I just wanted to ask you for one thing before we go away for the summer hols and you come back all Head-Girl-ified." She bristled at his implication. "Relax, Lils, you'll be a marvelous Head Girl. It just means that you'll have even less time for lowlifes such as myself, which I'm sure you see as yet another perk."

James' serious tone surprised her, and she eyed him more warily than ever. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

He looked her straight in the eye and did so.

"I would like for you to give me a kiss to build a dream on," he said calmly.

"Come again?" said Lily, still looking confused and a bit alarmed at this proposition.

"It's easy, Lils. Just leave me one thing before we part: a kiss to build a dream on."

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><p><strong>One more chapter of this coming soon. Please review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

**Okay, so I lied. There's going to be one more chapter after this, but I'll post it and probably an LJ oneshot suuuuper soon (like, within a couple of hours). Hope you like it!**

**- Lorraine**

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><p>"I would like for you to give me a kiss to build a dream on," James said calmly.<p>

_Am I crazy, or is James Potter sing-talking Louis Armstrong to me?_ thought Lily Evans.

The boy's request was certainly and odd one-probably not the strangest he'd made, but she tended to repress a lot of their interactions. She looked at the young man blocking her doorway, trying to decide if he was serious. She decided to ask.

"Come again?" she said, half hoping that Sirius was about to sneak up behind her and dump custard on her head, like in 4th year. No dice.

"It's easy, Lils. Just leave me one thing before we part: a kiss to build a dream on." Well, he was definitely quoting the song—one of her favorites, incidentally—and doing so with an entirely straight face. That was never good, because it meant he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Torn between being outraged at James' propriety and being flattered that he'd taken the time to learn the lyrics of an old muggle saxophone player just for her, Lily simply stood staring at James. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do, because now he began to sing in earnest.

"When I'm alone with my fancies, I'll be with you… Weaving romances, making believe they're true… Oh, give me your lips for just a moment, and my imagination will make that moment live… give me what you alone can give: a kiss to build a dream on." As he sang, James had moved closer to Lily ad taken her hand in his, placing his free hand on her waist. He proceeded to lead her in a slow dance across her dormitory. When he finished singing, he looked at her for a long moment, and whispered, "Please."

Lily, confused, amused (whatever James Potter's plethora of talents may have been, singing was not among them), and not a little frightened at what he would do next, quickly broke away from James.

"Wh-what are you doing, Potter?" she asked, cursing herself for stumbling over the words.

"I'm asking you for—"

"Right, yes, I heard you. But you do realize that you just, well, _serenaded me_?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "That's new."

James simply shrugged. "Well, obviously my old methods weren't working."

Lily frowned. "And what makes you think this one's going to?"

"Well, I just made a complete fool out of myself, and I know from years of experience how much you enjoy that." Lily nodded fairly. "And also, I think Louis' words are completely relevant to our rather one-sided relationship." At this, Lily scoffed.

James, as impressed as I am that you learned this song for me, I can't believe that you feel so strongly."

"Are you kidding me?" James said, starting to get angry. "How can you not see it? Everyone else—and I mean _everyone_, Lilly, even the first years—can tell that I'm mad about you!" he could see Lily shutting down, going into defense mode, and knew he had to calm himself. "Look, I'm sorry if I come on strong, alright? Right now, all I'm asking for is that kiss to tide me through." He looked searchingly at Lily, who seemed to have softened slightly since his original outburst. "What do you say, Lily? Will you give me what you alone can give?"

Lily eyed him speculatively, as if trying to decide how much she would lose and how much she would gain if she fulfilled his request. As she searched his face, she seemed to find sincerity, not mischief, and so she stood on her tiptoes, touching her lips to his.

Immediately at this contact, James' strong arms clasped at the small of Lily's back, effectively crushing them together. His lips softly covered her own, his tongue lightly drawing a curve against her bottom lip. She sighed, slightly opening her mouth, and his warm tongue quickly darted in to taste her, but just as quickly he broke away.

At the loss of contact Lily opened her eyes. Somehow during the kiss her hands had gotten tangled in James' hair (it was, in fact, as soft as it looked), and she quickly removed them. She made to extricate herself from James' grasp, but he held her fast, grinning down ant her flushed, embarrassed face.

"Well, Lils, I think I can build some pretty good dreams on that one. Thanks very much. I'll see you next term!" And with that, James Potter released Lily Evans and exited her dormitory, heading down to breakfast.

Lily more confused than ever (and oddly disappointed), stood in the middle of the room staring at the place where James had vanished, not quite comprehending what had just happened. Eventually she shook herself out of her reverie, and finished packing just in time to drag herself and her trunk down to Hogsmeade Station by eleven o'clock.

Thankfully, Lily had a Potter-free train ride (an occurrence unheard of since the pair started at Hogwarts), and so she had more time to process the morning's events. Her friends could tell that something had happened, but she brushed them off, promising to tell them later.

The Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop at King's Cross, and Lily gathered her luggage to exit the train. When she reached the door to the platform, she felt a hand lift her trunk down the steps, and then come back to offer her assistance. She looked for the owner of the hand, and saw none other than James Potter. She stepped down from the train, and made to take her hand from him, but he grasped it tighter, placed a light kiss on the back of it, winked at her, and hurried off into the crowd.

Smiling and shaking her head at his cheekiness, Lily grabbed her suitcase and wove through the masses of families to find the barrier—she would meet her parents outside the Muggle King's Cross—thanking Merlin for Louis Armstrong.

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><p><strong>And now, dear readers, would you give me what <strong>_**you**_** alone can give? That's right, you've guessed it: a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

**Here we are, the third and final chapter of A Kiss to Build A Dream On. Next up will be When You're Smiling (also based on a Louis tune), so keep an eye out. And, as always, tell me if you like this, or if you don't! Feedback is much appreciated.**

**- Lorraine**

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><p>Over the summer, both James and Lily were sorely tempted to write to each other. Lily was too stubborn—how could she possibly <em>want<em> to talk to the boy who had been making her life a living hell since they were eleven? She refused to sacrifice her pride and dignity.

James, for his part, was at war with himself. He was still trying to follow Remus' "keep her wanting more" advice, and he knew that if he wrote to Lily he'd seem to eager, and that might put her off. At the same time, he desperately wanted to write her, give her a place and time to meet, and then go snog her silly.

He hadn't been able to get their romantic encounter out of his head, and it was causing him to have some very pleasant experiences in his sleep, and they certainly kept _him_ wanting more… A Kiss to Build a Dream On, indeed.

And so it was August 25th, and while there had been several important occurrences in their lives, James and Lily had not written to each other. Sirius had moved in with the Potters, having run away from his abusive pureblood family, and there were several occasions on which James wanted to tell Lily that she'd been right—Sirius _was_ a pain in the arse. Also, Lily's sister Petunia had gotten engaged to Vernon Dursley—a horrid man, in Lily's opinion, whose only redeeming feature was the number of things about him to be made fun of (Lily thought James would particularly appreciate the comic potential of his mustache). Most importantly, thought, both James and Lily had been made Head Students.

With this news in hand and badges on their chests, Lily and James struck out for Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies. They were both of age in the Wizarding World, and so had insisted on going without their parents. James and Sirius Flooed from Potter Manor to the Leaky Cauldron and stopped for lunch ("Shopping on an empty stomach? Unheard of!" Sirius had said, and then promptly abandoned his Turkey Club sandwich for the exotic-looking barmaid who asked him upstairs, leaving James alone with his butterbeer).

This was how Lily found him when she stepped into the pub, having arrived on the Knight Bus. James, who had previously been grumbling into his drink about "lousy mates," swiveled around on his barstool when he heard a small cough to his left.

What he found there was a Lily Evans who looked even more radiant than usual, probably because she was grinning from ear to ear.

"You were right, James! I got it!" she said, pointing to her badge. "So here I am, all tarted up and Head Girl-ified to boot," she continued, striking a pose.

James laughed (a bit nervously), delighted that he hadn't scared her off, and that she was being nice to him. "That's excellent, Lils! I'm sorry to burst your bubble, though: you'll have to do without one of the perks you've been expecting."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Well, you're still going to have to put up with me. And a bit more often than you're used too… because I made Head Boy." He smiled shyly, showing her his badge.

Lily knew that in the past she would have been outraged at this turn of events, but as it so happened, her emotions were closer to overjoyed. She beamed and congratulated James, giving him a rather awkward hug as he was sitting on a high stool and she was standing on the ground), and then lapsing into a rather awkward silence. Thankfully, James was not the bashful type, and he decided to break the ice with a topic they were both familiar with.

"So, Lily, have you been… building any dreams this summer?"

She smiled slyly. "Well, James, now that you mention it, I think I need a bit more of a foundation…" And she pulled his face down to hers for the second of the couple's many kisses.

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><p>That year, the Head Students took full advantage of their private dormitories, often falling asleep together on the couch in the Head's common room or else sharing one of the beds.<p>

They laughed when they bought each other the same Louis Armstrong album for Christmas, and they both thanked Merlin that Lily had the sense to also buy James a gramophone.

For Lily's birthday in January, James gave her a locket charmed to play "A Kiss to Build a Dream on" Whenever opened. For James' birthday in March, Lily agreed to marry him

The following December, the two 18-year-olds were married on the grounds of Potter Manor—Sirius was best man, and Lily somehow refrained from making any jokes about Vernon's mustache. Remus gave the first toast, in which he asked James "How are you going to keep her wanting more now, mate? I'm pretty sure she's seen it all at this point." (Lily assured James that she would _always_ want more, and Sirius cheekily told her to "save it for the honeymoon"). Albus Dumbledore stood in for Lily's late fathering the traditional father-daughter dance (much to Horace Slughorn's disappointment), and James and his mother waltzed with perfect elegance. And, of course, you can guess what song was playing James and Lily had their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

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><p><strong>I'm pretty sure that I hate this ending, but I didn't know what to do with it. Sorry that it's so awfully fluffy and unrealistic. Please don't be disgusted with me forever. Oh, and also, please review!<strong>


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